The smaller wheels of a folding bike result in a different ride than a regular bike. More peddling is involved and the ride is slower and not as smooth, said Clay Wagers, owner of Oakland-based Bay Area Bikes, a dealer for folding bikes made by Dahon

Said Chuck Tyler, owner of Dublin Cyclery. "Bike Friday is going to be a little more expensive than Dahon. The Bike Friday is (generally) going to be a smaller bike and will fold up more tightly than a Dahon."